Organisation

Ko Tukituki te awa

(Tukituki the River)

Yellow - Sunsetting on the river

According to a legend two taniwha lived in a lake situated somewhere in the upper basin of the present Tukituki River. They fought to save a boy who disappeared into the lake and their struggles formed the Waipawa and Tukituki Rivers which drained the lake. Tukituki means “to demolish” and it is thought that this refers to the destruction of the lake mentioned in the story.

Ko Rongokako te Tūpuna

(Rongokako the Ancestor)

Purple - Rongo - kaitiaki of peace and agriculture (guardian of kumara)

Tamatea Arikinui’s (captain of Tākitimu canoe) son was Rongokako, a tohunga who could take giant strides. He strode across land and sea, leaving footprints at Kahurānaki in the Heretaunga area, Kirihaehae at Māhia, and Te Tapuwae o Rongokako near Whāngārā.

Final resting place - Te Mata Peak

He Huia te tohu o te matauranga

(Huia the symbol of knowledge)

Orange - colour of the Huia beak.

The huia feather is a revered treasure for Māori and symbolises leadership and mana. The feathers from the tail of the huia were particularly prized, thought of as taonga and were worn in the hair or around the neck by both men and women.

Huia were widespread but sparse after European settlement, with most records from the Ruahine, Tararua and Rimutaka ranges.